Lie-Nielsen Straight Handled Saw

[Philly]

Hi All
Had a delivery from Maine the other day-number one goody was this....

It is a stright handled crosscut saw. I have the L-N dovetail saw which I really like but was intrigued by this one as to how it would compare and perform.

Here's a comparison photo to give you some idea of it's scale.
The blade is narrower than the D-S and is cut with 14ppi crosscut teeth. It has minimal set and the brass back is pretty narrow and thin. In use I had to check that it wasn't set up like a Japanese saw! The blade being so thin had the tendancy to bend if you give it too much welly. The 14ppi is quite coarse (compared to my Pax dovetail saw) but it is much easier to start the cut than my D-S. It cuts a finer kerf and tracks like a beauty.

Here is a (bad) pic of the kerf it leaves. The ones on the right are the crosscut, the fatter ones on the left are the L-N dovetail saw. I was amazed how easy it was to use and how true it cut. As you can see it is perfect for cutting "skinny pins"!
I was amazed by how well this saw works-it cuts quickly and accurately. It also lets the user know when it is happy-if you try and force the cut it chatters! Overall, this is the saw I recommend for fine work. It is a gem and reasonably priced ($80) This is definitely a well kept secret.
If you're in the market for a great saw get your hands on one of these!
cheers
Philly

 

[Chris Knight]

Give me strength! :lol:

Now you can trade in your redundant DS saw for something useful?

 

[Alf]

Oi vey. :roll: I thought too much time had elapsed since the last one...

Them's thin kerfs. Impressive. All you need to do is hacksaw off that silly handle and put on a decent one and you're set. :wink:

Hang on a cotton-pickin'... Number one goody?! If you're gonna stretch 'em out, it'll go hard with you, chum...

Cheers, Alf

P.S. C*ll*ct*r :twisted:

 

[Philly]

Ho, ho!
Now you gettin' Nasty! :lol:
The Philster

 

[Aragorn]

Ooooo that looks nice!
Did you actually request the saw, or have you set up some kind of standing order? :wink:

 

[Midnight]

<wonderin if Mystic Meg can see coathooks an hyper-extended knicker elastic in Philly's near future...

Philly... yoo do realise that with such a vast collection of "right tools for the job" your excuses for nae comin up wi the goods are gettin thin on the ground...

 

[Keith Smith]

Philly have a heart, I've just bought a van and the tool budget is gone for the next year

please stop tormenting me :lol:

Keith

 

[Frank D.]

Philly,
Nice saw, you're almost set to cut some dovetails. All you need now is a REAL Japanese saw, not an American imitation, and your kerfs will be as thin as a piece of paper. Don't give up now, true success is just a saw away! :wink: :lol:
Frank D.

 

[kygaloot]

For fine work, I find that a straight handle saw, with index finger on top, gives me better control.

As to Frank's comment, I would be interested in hearing from someone who has both Philly's new gem and a Dozuki and how they compare. Further, does anyone with a Dozuki actually have the ability to sharpen it?

Jeff

 

[Anonymous]

Now that didn't take very long until you got your broadband (and gloat) sorted

Very beautiful saw and I am NOT jealous :twisted:

 

[Frank D.]

Hi Kygaloot,
I don't have both so don't really know. I have the LN dovetail though, which I use for hard woods, and a few dozukis which I use for soft woods. I find the western-style saws cut too fast in pine and don't give me as much control as the slower-cutting Japanese saws. However, in hardwoods I get a lot of chatter from the Japanese saws, at least from the ones that I have, although I hear some are better than others for hardwoods, so it might just be my saws. Most people don't sharpen their own Japanese saws and very few professionals do it in the States (perhaps less than ten). Usually you have to send your saw back to a metate (saw sharpener) in Japan, and he sends it back when it's done--sometimes six months later. That's why you need a spare saw when you buy a high-end Japanese saw that can be resharpened. I buy the kind that have disposable blades. They still last quite long (manufacturers can temper them a lot harder when they are disposable), they cut well, and they are not too expensive to replace.
Frank

 

[Philly]

Frank/Jeff
This saw surprised me big time-I spent all weekend tingling!! :shock:
I like Japanese saws and have a few. Whilst I enjoy tinkering with them they never totally win me over for accurate work in hardwoods.
I have a Spehar tenon saw as well as the L-N's and these really are the business.
The crosscut was a revelation though-it was such a joy to use and so EASY! No steep learning curve like the dovetail saw.
If you get a chance try one out-I'm sure it will be the "Next Big Thing"!
Cheers
In love,
Philly

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Philly, your review is interesting. My understanding is/was that the LN gent saw was a rip 15 tpi, but I see on the LN website that it is now available in 14 tpi crosscut and 10 tpi rip. I, too, have the LN Independence dovetail saw, which is 15 tpi rip. I find this saw quite difficult to use (hard to start) and much prefer my vintage John Cotterill 8", which is also set 15 tpi rip. The LN has a more aggressive rip angle (teeth are more vertical) than the John Cotterill, and this makes a big difference. In fact, the angle is getting closer to that of a crosscut, and it is probably this that accounts for what appears (from your description) to be such a similarity between the LN Gent and the John Cotterill. I have toyed with the idea of refiling the teeth of the LN but just could not bring myself to do so, argung that I will learn to cut with it (and that I probably just was not skilled enough to use it yet).

By contrast, I find my Japanese saws just so easy to use - hardly any learning curve at all. Unfortunately these do not stand up to the tough Aussie hardwoods I use, so some years ago I decided to reserve their use to softwoods.

The other dovetail saw I enjoy is a Crown 8" Gent, which is 17 tpi rip. This cut straight lines right out of the box and is a bargain at its price. I use it for fine cuts in hardwood.

Now that you have raised my awareness to this LN, it looks like I will just be forced to get one. For research purposes, you understand!

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Charley]

Welcome to UKW Derek

 

[Philly]

Ha! Nice one Derek!
You certainly won't regret it-I have been cutting some practise skinny pin joint recently and the saw is just so easy to use (makes me look good :lol: )
regards
Philly

 

[Aragorn]

Philly
Just to follow up on Derek's comment - please can I ask, what made you decide on the crosscut 14tpi instead of the 15tpi rip?
Do you plan to use this saw for DTs? If so, would it be less suitable than the 15tpi?
If not for DTs, then what will be the saw's main use (apart from, er, enhancing the odd photo or two! :wink

 

[Philly]

Aragorn
I have the L-N dovetail saw (15tpi rip) and saw (no pun intended) the crosscut-it intrigued me :roll:
I have been using it a fair bit recently and in reasonably thin stock it rules for dovetails!
Cheers
Philly
(you know you want one....)

 

[Aragorn]

Noooo Stop it!!! :lol:
I really like the look of this saw, and would love to have a really decent dovetail saw.
Can anyone advice on better options, and one whether to go with the 15tpi rip or risk the 14tpi crosscut??

 

[Chris Knight]

Aragorn,
It really is hard to beat one of the small Japanese back saws (about 7 inches blade length) for dovetails and they cost about £10.

Of course if what you really want is a gorgeous looking thing that you can also use for dovetails, then that is another question!

Seriously, sawing can be such a personal thing, I suggest you try three or four different saws before deciding.

 

[J.A.S]

Given Philly's impressive photo, and Derek's positive experience with a neo-xcut DT saw, it begs the question of whether the current vogue of using rip-cut dovetail saws is helpful.

Whilst, of course, dovetailing is logically a ripping operation, generations of craftsman have used cross-cut saws to make the joint. That, surely, can't be an accident.

The fineness of the cuts in Philly's photo is enough for me to hold fire on having some old saws filed in a rip profile.

Does anyone else have similar thoughts?

Jeremy